Harness-saddle



(No Model.)

J. H. PRICE.

HARNESS SADDLE.

Patented July 4, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. PRICE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HARNESS-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,024, dated July 4, 1893.

Application filed September 29, 1892.

zen of the United States, residing at Chicago,

in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Saddles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates primarily to the manher of attaching the check-hook to the saddleseat, and secondarily to the manner of attaching the saddle seat to the tree; and as relates to the first, it has for its object to readily remove and replace broken hooks without detaching the seat from the tree; as to the secondv my object is practically the same; that is to say, to remove and replace the seat without detaching the pads or the jockeys. It very frequently happens that the check-hook is snapped off at the point where the shank meets the saddle-seat and in order to insert a new hook the pads must be removed so as to obtain access to the fastenings uniting the shank to the seat.

In my invention I propose to so connect the shank of the check-hook to the saddle-seat that in case of breakage the old shank can be unfastened and slipped out and the shank of a new check-hook inserted without removing the seat or disturbing the pads or jockeys. I propose also to so connect the saddle-seat to the tree by means of screws and dove-tails that the seat, together with the check-hook, may be bodily removed without interference with the pads. The means by which I accomplish these ends will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of part of a harness-saddle, showing the upper part of the tree with crupper strap-loop, the saddle-seat and the check-hook applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section centrally through the check-hook and saddle-seat showing one manner in which I contemplate applying the check-hook to the saddle-seat so that the shank may be removed in case of breakage. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the preceding figure, on the correspondingly numbered line. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal ver-v tical section through check-hook and saddleseat, showing a different manner of fastening the check-hook, but otherwise involving the Serial No.447,34=4- (N0 model.)

same means. Figs- 5 and 6 are transverse vertical sections, on the correspondingly numbered lines in the first figure.

A represents the saddle-seat provided centrally beneath with a longitudinal dove-tail groove, a; and B is acheck-hook provided with a long straight dove-tail shank, snugly fitting within such groove, and extending to the rear of the seat and attached thereto, as shown.

In the form of my invention'shown in the second figure of the drawings, the bottom of the dove-tail groove in the saddle-seat is re cessed, as at 0, near the rear end, to receive a plate or other spring, C, which snaps into a socket, c, in' the top of the check-hook shank when the latter has been pushed home, and thus holds it against withdrawal. Should, however, the hook by any chance be broken where it merges into the shank, as it invariably will be, if broken at all, owing to the shoulders formed at that point to provide for enlargement of the hook proper, a new hook may be inserted pushing the old shank out to the rear, the spring allowing movement in such direction, but not toward the front. Then whenever the new hook has been pushed home the spring will snap into the recess formed in the shank and will secure it. Thus the repair is made almost instantly.

In the second form shown in Fig. 4:, the saddle-seat has the dove-tail groove and the hook has the dove-tail shank as in the first form, but the shank is secured at its rear end to the seat by means of a screw, D, driven in through the crupper-strap-loop, e, of the saddle-tree, E, either entirely in rear of the web or lining uniting the pads, or so close to the edge of such lining that it may be easily pushed back to allow of the use of a screwdriver. In this form it is obvious that the screw replaces the spring and that by removing the screw a new check-hook can be inserted, pushing out the old shank to the rear, as in the other form, and that when the new shank reaches its place the screw will be inserted in the appropriate bore made in said shank, and driven home to complete the fastening.

For the purposeof securing the saddle-seat with a dove-tail groove, 6, which receives the dove-tailed forward end, f, of a flange, F, ex-

to the tree the front of the tree is formedtending the whole length of the seat and constituting,in the present instance, the walls of the dove-tail groove for the reception of the shank of the check-hook. At the rear end this flange rests upon the body of the tree, but it is not necessarily dove-tailed. The seat is attached by inserting the flange from behind into the dove-tail groove in the front of the tree and then is secured at the rear by screws, G, passing through the tree and into the seat to the rear of the web or lining connecting the pads, or so close to the rear as to permit a screw-driver to be used. Ordinarily this arrangement alone will be suiiicient to fasten the seat to the tree and to permit of its ready removal. Additional screws, H, may, however, be used at the front, beyond the edge of the lining or so close beneath said edge as not to interfere with the employment of a screw-driver, should it be thought advisable to increase the security of the fastening.

\Vhile I have described the fastening for securing the check-hook shank in the seat as located near the rear of the dove-tail groove therein it is evident that if the first form of fastening is used, to wit, the spring, it is not very material whether it is located near the front or near the rear, provided it is a platespring, but I preferably locate it at the rear on account of the greater thickness of the body of the seat at that point. It is also evident that the spring may be secured to the shank of the check-hook and snap into a recess in the seat and that the groove and flange of the seat and the check-hook shank and groove in the tree are not necessarily dove-tailed in outline but that any grooves having their sides undercut and any shank and flange having sides fitted to said undercut grooves will be equivalents thereof,- wherefore the term dove-tailed is to be considered as used herein in a generic sense to embrace such equivalent constructions.

I claim- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a check-hook having a straight dove-tailed shank, a seat having a longitudinal undercut groove to receive said shank, a fastening directly entering the shank and wall of the groove transversely of the two to hold the shank from withdrawal, and a saddle-tree secured to said seat independently of the connection between the seat and check-hook.

2. The combination of a seat provided underneath with a longitudinal dove-tail groove, a check-hook formed with a straight dovetail shank entering said groove and fitting closely therein, and a spring-catch fastening said shank to the seat.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a seat provided under neath with a longitudinal dove-tail groove and recessed at a point along said groove, a check-hook formed with a straight dove-tail shank entering said groove and fitting closely therein and having a notch to oppose said recess and a plate spring secured in said recess and having its free end bent outward therefrom to snap into the notch and prevent the withdrawal of the shank.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the saddle-tree having a dove-tail groove at the forward edge, the seat formed with a longitudinal subtending flange dove-tailed at the forward end to enter said groove, screws passing directly through said tree at the rear side thereof, adjacent to the pad lining, and up into the seat, and a check-hook detachably connected to said seat independently of the fastening connection between the latter and the tree.

5. The combination of the saddle tree having a dove-tail groove at its forward edge, the seat formed with a longitudinal subtending flange, dove-tailed at its forward end to enter said groove, and with a dove-tail groove longitudinally through said flange, screws passing through the rear edge of the tree and into the seat, the check-hook having a straight dove-tail shank entering the groove in the seat and a fastening to prevent the withdrawal of said shank.

6. The combination of the saddle-tree having a dove-tail groove at its forward edge, the seat formed with a longitudinal subtending flange, dovetailed at its forward end to enter said groove, and with a recessed dove-tail groove longitudinally through said flange, screws passing through the rear edge of the tree and into the seat, the check-hook having a notched dove-tail shank enteringthe groove in the seat, and a spring secured in the recess of the groove and engaging with the notch in the shank, to prevent the withdrawal of said shank.

JOSEPH 11. PRICE. Witnesses:

A. S. WELLS, M. E. SHIELDS. 

